Annan mourns death of Simon Wiesenthal, UN ally in fight to promote tolerance

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today mourned the death of Nazi war criminal hunter Simon Wiesenthal, citing his significant contributions to the UN’s own fight to promote tolerance and fight anti-Semitism.

“Mr. Wiesenthal’s efforts to pursue justice for the victims of the Holocaust sent an important message to the world that there should be no impunity for genocide and crimes against humanity,” Mr. Annan said in a statement issued by his spokesman.

“His work through the Wiesenthal Center – an NGO (non-governmental organization) accredited to both the United Nations and UNESCO (UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) – to promote tolerance and fight anti-Semitism made significant contributions to the United Nations’ own efforts in this area,” the statement added.